Tauron
by Hobbit Killer
Summary: The story of Tauron, hero of Rohan, friend of Thorongil, and the missing Prince of Mirkwood. Please read this!
1. Losing Old Friends and Making New Ones

A/N Yo, what's up? Hobbit Killer here, you know the one that brought you The Fight of His Life and Prisoner of war, and I have a new story up my sleeve. This one is going to be different then all of its predecessors and it's only meant for people with patience and a decent attention span. In other words, this is my first attempt at an epic, so be patient. 

Don't let that turn you off, though, because this sucker's got, Aragorn/Legolas FRIENDSHIP, Arwen/Legolas romance, Arwen/Aragorn romance, cute little children, action, orc @$$ kick'n, some pranks which I hear are exceptionally funny, and people using aliases. Now if that's not what you want in a story, then why the heck are you reading my stuff, as I have a one track mind and I'm a one trick pony and this aint gonna be that different from my other stuff.

That said I'm going to put in the disclaimer which has been absent from my last two stories and then I'll get to the chase.

Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas, or Aragorn, or Arwen, or Elrond, or Elladan, or Elrohir, or Thengel (Do I have your interest yet?) or Theoden (How about now?) or the name Tauron. (Huh?). I am not making any profit by the use of their names in this story, and have a really good layer if you plan on suing me, so trust me, it's not worth it.

Now, without further ado, here it is.

Tauron

Chapter one

Losing Old Friends and Making New Ones

Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood had been traveling to Rivendel o deliver a message to Lord Elrond when a sudden thrill of warning ran up his spine. He immediately stopped his mount, reaching out with his senses to locate the threat. He soon found it in the form of the trampling feet of orcs and the sounds of battle. Without a second thought, Legolas immediately headed in that direction so as to aid whoever was unfortunate enough to be caught in a battle with the foul creatures. As he went, however, the sounds of battle died down, but the trampling and cackling of the orcs remained, adding to Legolas's worry.

When Legolas came to the campsite, he was greeted with a gruesome sight. There were at least ten rangers killed, their bodies strewn about the camp, one of which Legolas recognized immediately.

"Arathorn?" Legolas cried out in dismay as he ran towards his old friend. To his surprise he found the ranger alive but fading fast.

"Legolas?" Arathorn whispered in disbelief. "How?"

"Shhh," Legolas cut him off. "You shouldn't speak mellon." His advice went unheaded, however as Arathorn had something very important to say before he left the world.

"Aragorn...you must look after him," he whispered, straining to form the words. "He's hidden in the tree. Get him and take him to Rivendel where he'll be safe. Watch over him, Legolas. Let him come to no harm." Arathorn paused as his breathing hitched in pain before continuing. "He is more important than any other man, Legolas. I know it will be he that reclaims the throne of Gondor and Arnor." Arathorn closed his eyes briefly before muttering his last words in Middle Earth. "Namarie nin mellon."

With those words, Arathorn, chieftain of the Dunedain died. leaving his young child, Aragorn as the last remaining heir of Isildur and the only man left that could unite the lands of men in the hands of Legolas Greenleaf Thranduilion, Prince of Mirkwood.

"I will not fail you mellon," Legolas whispered before going to where Arathorn said his son was hiding.

When Legolas got to the tree, he noticed a small pair of eyes looking out at him from the child's hiding place in the hollow of the tree. When he came closer, the eyes disappeared as the boy snuggled deeper into his hiding place at the sight of the stranger. Seeing this, Legolas stopped, removing all of his weapons and putting his hands up so as to show the child he was unarmed.

"It's okay, you can come out. I won't hurt you," Legolas coaxed, seeing the eyes come back.

"Who are you?" the young boy asked, eyeing the elf suspiciously.

"Don't you remember? I was there at your birthday party when you turned three." When Aragorn still didn't respond, Legolas continued. "I'm a friend of your father's, Legolas Greenleaf," Legolas said, hoping the boy would remember.

"Oh yeah! I remember you! You're the one that won the archery contest and helped me and Dad play all those jokes on people. Mamma was really mad at you!" Aragorn pronounced proudly, at last placing the blonde elf's face.

Legolas laughed at the boy's description, especially the last part. Gilraen had been furious with him after he had pulled his final trick. He had stuffed one of Gandalf's fireworks into the roasting boar and lit it causing the boar to exploded all over the place. Every person within the immediate area was covered in chunks of the creature. Then, after they had all gotten over their initial shock, the prank was well received, though before the applause had even finished, Gilraen had started chastising Legolas, producing even more laughter as shed led the prince away while holding fast one of his pointy ears.

"Yes that was me, Little one, and now I'm going t take you with me to Rivendel to see Lord Elrond," Legolas said, hoping that the boy would come without question. Unfortunately it was not so.

"What about Daddy and Mamma? Aren't they coming too?" 

Legolas sighed, trying to think of how to tell the child that his parents had died that day. "Aragorn your father and mother can't come with us."

"Why?" Aragorn asked, tears forming in his eyes. "Don't they love me anymore?"

"Of course they love you, and they'll always love you," Legolas quickly reassured the child.

"Then why won't they come?" Aragorn asked, now thoroughly confused.

"It's not that the won't come, it's just that they are physically unable." Legolas got on his knees, looking the child in the eye, knowing the next thing he had to say would not be easy for him to accept. "Aragorn, today your parents died. They are never going to be able to come back to you in body, but remember this. They will always be with you and they will always watch over you. Just look inside your heart and you'll find them."

Aragorn nodded as he cried softly before being engulfed in a comforting embrace. They stayed that way for a while as Aragorn cried into Legolas's shoulder. Eventually, Aragorn cried himself to sleep, allowing Legolas to pick him up and carry him to his mount and begin the journey to Rivendel.

Okay, folks, there you go. Another Hobbit Killer Aragorn and Legolas story has come to life and this one is going to be long and complex, though right now it looks like your ordinary story with the two of them, I tell you this. IT'S DIFFERENT!

_ We now take a break from our regular authors note to bring you a shameless plug._

If you haven't already, and you really like this one, feel free to check out my other fics, even the humor one might appeal to your appetite.

_ We now return to our regularly scheduled begging and babbling. Thank you._

Okaaaay, where was I? Oh yeah! If 'yall wanna see why this is different please REVIEW!

Peace,

The one and only, Hobbit Killer


	2. New Family

A/N Well, I guess you guys really didn't want to see why this story was so different, in spite of the fact that I think it's really good and that you should all give me more reviews so I won't have to remove it from the site.

Okay, I know you all want me to update POW and trust me, I'm working on it, but I already had the second chapter of this story written so I decided to post it and see if it got your attention again.

But don't you reviewers think I'm letting you off easy. If I don't get ten votes for the last chapter of FOHL than I'm going to take my sweet time with the next chapter of my most popular story and it'll be all of you that don't review that will be ruining the fun of those that do.

Of course, there is another option. If I get five or more reviews for this story within the next three days, I will type dawn till dusk to get the next chapter of POW ready as soon as I am physically able.

Okay, sound good? Good.

Tauron

Chapter two:

New Family

The trip had been uneventful and the pair had arrived in Rivendel in only a few days.

Aragorn had been unusually quiet for one his age the entire way and Legolas had grown increasingly concerned for the well being of his young charge.

As they rode trough the gates of Rivendel, Elrond himself met them.

"Legolas Greenleaf, _Thranduilion,_ it's an honor to have you in Rivendel again," Elrond greeted formally, smiling at the young prince. When his gaze fell upon Aragorn, however, his features darkened. "Though I fear your news may be less than pleasant."

Legolas simply nodded with an unspoken agreement to speak of it later. Brightening up, Elrond smiled down at the boy.

"And who might this be?"

Aragorn hid himself behind Legolas when he was addressed, afraid of this strange new person.

"This little one behind me is Aragorn. Aragorn, this is Lord Elrond. He's in charge of this whole city." Legolas pushed Aragorn in front of him so that he could see Elrond.

"Hi," the child said, a little shy.

Elrond smiled at the boy's tepidity and decided to try and make him more comfortable. "Hello there little one. It is a pleasure to meet you. Anything you want in this house is available, just say the word, okay?"

The boy smiled before replying. "Okay, Lord Elrond."

"Good, now let's get you two something to eat and then I'll show you to your chambers." Elrond led them into the house and to the dining hall, telling a servant to prepare a quick meal before leaving with the promise he'd return soon.

When the food was brought out, Aragorn took a full minuet to gawk at the magnificent spread before starting to devour every thing in sight. Legolas laughed at his eagerness before starting to eat his fill, albeit much slower than his companion.

"Slow down before you choke, Aragorn," came the amused voice of Elrond who stood in the doorway. Turning to the voice, Aragorn smiled up at Lord Elrond before going back to eating his meal, although slower than before.

"Sorry, Lord Elrond. It's just that all I've had to eat the last few days were lembas and Legolas's cooking," the boy said, sticking his tongue out and pointing at it to demonstrate his feeling on Legolas's culinary attempts.

"Oh? The Prince of Mirkwood decided to try his hand at cooking?" Elrond asked, laughter in his eyes as Legolas made a show of hiving an exasperated sigh and rolling his eyes.

"No, the Prince of Mirkwood didn't, Legolas did!" Aragorn corrected the Lord's obvious mistake.

"I am the Prince of Mirkwood, Aragorn," Legolas explained to the lad.

"But you can't be a prince!" Aragorn insisted.

"Oh, and why now?" asked Legolas with a raised eyebrow.

"You're to weird to be a prince," Aragorn explained to the silly elves. His comment made the elves explode with laughter, greatly confusing the young human.

"Odd he may be," Elrond said after regaining his breath and some of his composure. "But he is a prince, I assure you."

"But why would a prince be traveling all alone in the wild just to deliver a message?" Aragorn asked, still not believing that his guide and protector on his way to Rivendel could possibly be royalty.

"Well you see, Aragorn, Legolas used to have an escort travel with him on his journeys, but it soon became evident that when trouble was aroused, he'd protect them more than they him, putting him in even greater danger than when he'd travel alone. As to being a messenger, Legolas is the most skilled warrior in his realm, and maybe even Middle Earth not to mention a very skilled rider, making him the best choice for a messenger over such a long distance. He is also one of the few of his kin in Imladris's good graces." Elrond smiled at the young elf when he finished.

Aragorn silently assessed this new information before smiling and nodding his acceptance of it. "Okay, but I still say he's weird."

The elves' laughter could be heard throughout Rivendel.

The mood was much more serious later that evening after Aragorn had gone to bed as Legolas and Elrond discussed how the boy came to be in the prince's keeping.

"It is indeed sad news that such a fine man has been lost. His and Gilraen's deaths leave Aragorn as the only remaining member of that blood line," Elrond said thoughtfully as he mulled over the situation.

"Aye, 'tis true, My Lord. That is why I brought him here to Rivendel, for I know he may be protected within these borders," Legolas said, watching Elrond carefully.

"That," said Elrond, "he shall certainly be. It will be good to have a child within these walls again." When he saw Legolas relax, Elrond could barely hide his amusement. "I'll raise him as one of my own. You have nothing to fear."

Legolas nodded, letting out a sigh of relief and, thinking the conversation over, started to get up.

"I would ask something of you, Prince Legolas." Elrond's voice called him back.

"Yes, My Lord?"

Elrond studied the elf before him for a bit before continuing. "The child needs a mentor and guardian, and though I'm sure the twins would do a fine job, I believe it would be a good idea if you stayed a few years until the boy comes of age."

"It would be an honor, Lord Elrond," Legolas said without hesitation, being one used to staying on in Rivendel for extended periods of time. Suddenly a thought hit him. "Where are Elladan and Elrohir?" he asked, the lord's previous statement making him realize he had yet to see either half of the terrible duo.

"They shall be home soon," said Elrond before adding, "_If_ they haven't run into trouble. I sent them out to look for herbs as our stores are running low in spite of your absence."

Legolas nodded, choosing to ignore the last comment. "And Arwen?"

"She is with them," Elrond said apparently offhandedly, though for one who knew the lord as well as Legolas, it was with disguised concern.

"Oh," said Legolas, trying not to sound too put out by her absence. "Then I'll see her tomorrow. He then bowed, once more heading for the door.

"I'm sending her to Lorien," said Elrond, drawing Legolas back once more. "After the Festival. These times have grown dark and I wish her to be near the Lady where her power will protect her. I thought you'd like to know, seeing how close you two are."

Legolas just stood, taking a moment to digest what the Lord had just told him. "Thank you for telling me, Lord Elrond," he said at last. "Though I am grieved to hear it, for, as you know, we in Mirkwood do not often travel to the Golden Wood. It is a shame to lose such a good friend." With that, Legolas turned, finally succeeding in exiting the room, thoughts whirling about in his head.

Alright, then. That was a pretty good chapter in my book and very worthy of REVIEWS. So please, remember my offer and click on that little box in the lower left hand corner of your screen and type away.

Does anyone have info on the extended edition of ROTK? I've been trying to find some but I can't and I would really like to.

Anywho,

Peace,

Hobbit Killer


	3. Heart of a Warrior

A/N Okay, in spite of the fact that this is not my most popular story, I'm updating it anyway 'cause it's my favorite. I really don't know why this story hasn't been producing the kind of reviews some of my other stories like POW have since this is the only one I've written which will, in my opinion, turn out to have at least a somewhat interesting, not overdone plot as my others have been rather formulistic and unoriginal.

If it's because of the Arwen/Legolas relationship, I guarantee that Arwen will not be made into an angel, nor a Mary Sue if there's a difference.

Oh yeah, and for those of you that keep asking me questions about what's going on or what's going to happen, the answer is simple, read and trust that the story will pan out in a way that makes sense. PLEASE don't try to jump ahead of it because that just takes away from when I actually get to the moment you've been inquiring about. If it helps, think of it as a movie, don't think about it just enjoy it.

Chapter three:

Heart of a Warrior

Elladan sighed with contentment as he once again found himself surrounded by the familiar sights of Rivendel. Though this had been, by far, one of their shorter expeditions into the wilderness, the young lord always felt a sense of completeness when back in his homeland. The homecoming was made all the sweeter by the absence of any critical injuries, returning with mere scratches obtained from handling the thorny herbs their father requested. '_Perhaps it's because Legolas isn't here,'_ he thought, snickering to himself.

"What, may I ask, is so funny _Dear _Brother?"

Elladan immediately shut his mouth at the voice of his sister that had brought her horse abreast with his. "Nothing, Sister," he said, trying to sound not overanxious. He knew Arwen, though not overly skilled with blade or bow, possessed the sharpest tongue in all of Rivendel as well as a very close connection to the Warrior Prince of Mirkwood and he was not keen on having to endure a lecture from his sister.

Arwen eyed her brother levelly, having a relatively good guess as to where his thoughts lie, or rather on _whom. _It was common knowledge that Legolas had a knack for getting himself (and those ill-fated enough to be his companions) into holes of trouble so deep, they would make a dwarven mine look little grander than a rabbit hole. Her brother's reaction had verified this, for she knew she had a tendency to be a tad over protective when it came to the wood elf's reputation.

It was the least she could do, seeing how their first meeting had almost caused the prince to make an early journey to Mandos.

The year had been hard on the people of Imladris as it was right after the departure of the lady of the house, Celebrian's departure into the West leaving the ruling family in a state of grief and anger so potent it seemed to choke the haven's residents.

The twins had chosen to avoid their grief, turning it into cold fury as they scoured the country side hungry for the taste of orcish blood on their gleaming blades while her father spent his days brooding in his study, burying himself in his studies of the healing arts and the maintenance of his realm. And Arwen? She was just lost and confused as the weight of her family's fury nearly buried her.

She began to wander the forests of her homeland aimlessly and with no thought other than to escape the pain, anger, and especially her father's newly found over protectiveness of his only daughter. It was routine, in those times, for her to storm out of the Last Homely House in a rage, her blood boiling form the heated argument she'd just had with her father and she soon began wandering farther and farther from the safety of Rivendel and into the every darkening world beyond, if only to rebel against her father's demands.

It was on one of these occasions that she never returned.

Later she found out that Rivendel had become frantic, the only thought running through it's people's minds being, '_No, please not again'._

Her brothers stopped their mad hunt for vengeance and immediately began searching high and low, with the help of Glorfindel, for their beloved little sister, praying that she would not be lost to them as well. But they could not find anything, though their combined skills were the best in all of Eregion.

So it was, that in a moment of pure desperation, Lord Elrond had done the unthinkable. He begged King Thranduil for aid, specifically the use of his son, Legolas. For, while the prince was still very young, he had already established himself as the greatest of his generation; his skill already becoming the stuff of legend in the regions of men.

Fortunately, the prince was more open minded than his father, and was quite willing to lend his skills to the lords of Imladris. It was not the first special task that had been requested of him by an ally, though it was, by far, the one of the greatest importance.

It had been him, and only him, that was successful in his hunt, though few other than himself knew the reason, and he had, on a cloudy winter's day, returned to the elven refuge borne on a mule of all things with the elven princess in his arms, and a short walk from Mandos.

At her request, the prince had told none of what he had discovered when he had found her captors, nor was he very detailed in the story of their journey back to Rivendel, though it was certainly something of interest as the prince returned three months after he left.

It was obvious, however, that Arwen had grown close to her rescuer in that time, and why not? But none truly understood how close the couple had gotten.

Legolas was, to Arwen, a thrilling, fiery curiosity that sent her senses on edge and made her blood run hotly with lust and she could not shake her infatuation with him no matter how primal it may have been. She knew Legolas had come to love her during their journey together, though in a different, more heartfelt way than her, and so a hot, passionate bond formed between them.

Every time they met, however, Arwen was left with a sense of guilt. She knew Legolas thought they had something special; knew it by his gentle touches and the sincerity in his voice, but she just didn't feel the complete connection. There was lust, yes, and the two were of a kindred spirit, but to say that she _loved_ Legolas, well, she just couldn't.

__

'It would be so much easier if he wasn't so intoxicating', thought Arwen, remembering the countless times she had made up her mind to call their relationship off but was foiled by her own raging emotions.

"Arwen!"

Arwen's head snapped up as Elrohir's voice broke her from her reverie. Shaking her head to chase away her thoughts, her eyes widened when she realized her brothers had gained fifty yards on her. Kicking her horse into a gallop, she soon caught up with the duo, her thoughts and feelings for Legolas Greenleaf left behind.

Legolas sat perched in his favorite tree in all of Rivendel, book in hand, with a content smile on his face as he enjoyed the beauty of _silence_. Aragorn was a wonderful child, ever eager to learn and always fascinated by the trappings and mannerisms and history of the elven race. The problem was he always went to Legolas to inquire about them.

It was not that Legolas didn't enjoy the boy's company, it was just that there is so much a body can take. Fortunately, Elrond (Valar bless him) was used to children's ever curious minds and had liberated the Mirkwood prince by taking Aragorn to the library with the promise of reading him a story about elves.

At the sound of horse's hooves, Legolas shot up, his gaze drawn eagerly toward the main gate. A smile instantly broke out on his face as he caught site of Elrond's children riding in and his heart fluttered at the presence of the lord's youngest.

Arwen had always brought light into his spirit whenever they were together, and it forever left him grinning like a fool in her presence.

That grin was now plastered to his face as he jumped from the tree without a thought to the dizzying height from which he sprung and sprinted toward the gate eager to speak with his friends.

"Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen!" he called to his friends, subconsciously naming them oldest to youngest. He almost laughed at how all three dark heads snapped in his direction almost simultaneously.

As their heads turned in the prince's direction, instant smiles broke out on the faces of the twins. "Mellon nin!" shouted Elrohir, haphazardly dismounting and running to capture his friend in a bear hug, his brother mere moments away. "What are you doing here!"

Legolas's face darkened a bit at the innocent question. "I'm afraid that's something for you to discuss with your father. He's waiting for you three in his study with some news of great importance," he said, releasing himself from the twins' grips.

Elladan and Elrohir nodded curtly at their friends words, immediately taking note of the change in attitude. Obviously something grave had occurred to cause Legolas to send them away to their father instead of meeting up with them. "All right. We'll go meet him now," said Elladan, patting his friend on the shoulder before making his way inside.

"But don't think you're getting out of spending time with us later Thranduilion," said Elrohir before he followed his brother.

Arwen approached then, the only one that had not, as of yet spoken. "Welcome back Legolas," she said in that sweet, heavenly voice of hers. She leaned in closer, in a secretive maner and whispered, "Meet me at the lake tonight, we have much to talk about.

Legolas could only nod, the presence of the she-elf he loved stealing away his rational thought and with it his ability for speech. His eyes followed her form dreamily as she went into the house after her brothers.

Elrond looked up, smiling as his children entered the room. His relief was overflowing at the sight of them relatively unharmed. "Welcome home my children," he said, rising to embrace each in turn. When they were had all greeted each other, each found a chair, the younger ones eager to hear the news their father had for them.

"We saw Legolas when we came home, Adar. He said you had something to tell us," Elrohir said, bringing up the conversation the three children of Elrond had been dying to have.

"I do have news," said Elrond, sighing heavily. "Arathorn son of Arador is dead." The elf lord looked up, finding his children staring at him with horror.

"What," Elrohir said, unable to believe the ranger that was a long time friend of theirs could be dead. "How?"

"His party was attacked by a contingent of orcs. They were overwhelmed," Elrond said, his gaze drifting downward at the loss of his brother's kin.

"Well what of Gilraen and the child? Were they with him?" asked Arwen, her fear for the young woman vividly apparent.

Elrond sighed again, his eyes coming up again to connect with those of his daughter. "The lady is dead," he said solemnly. "The only one that survived the attack was Aragorn." He paused, looking at his grief ridden children. "The heir of Elendil is now in our care," he said, surprising his children whose heads snapped up at the news. "It is a heavy responsibility, for, if the enemy discovers that we are hiding him, nothing will stop them from killing him and all will be brought to ruin."

Elladan echoed his father's sigh. "It is the least we could do for Arathorn," he said, quietly. "It would be difficult, however, to keep his identity hidden. The enemy has spies everywhere and if we so much as mutter the name 'Aragorn' outside of these walls it could mean the end of the hope of mankind."

"Than we won't say it," said Elrohir quietly.

"What do you mean?" asked Elrond even though he was gathering an idea of how his son's mind was working.

"An alias," said Elrohir in an almost matter of fact fashion. "If we are to keep his identity hidden, we must change it."

"Than what are we going to call him?" asked Arwen.

"Estel," said Elrond suddenly, the idea having just come to him. "For, as you said, Elladan, he is the hope of man."

They all stood silently for a while before Elladan spoke again. "Well," he said, plastering a smile on his face, "I, for one, can't wait. It will be fun having another little brother."

Elrond smiled, pleased with his eldest son's reaction to the news. "I am glad to hear it, Elladan," he said. "Now, if you and Elrohir would go find Legolas, I have just sent Estel along to meet him and I think the three of you should become acquainted. I must speak with your sister."

Arwen watched her father warily as her brothers left the room, wondering why her father would wish to speak with just her. Her heart involuntarily fluttered as she thought that her father may have discovered her relationship with Legolas. Pushing it down, she smiled sweetly at her father. "What would you like to tell me, Ada?" she asked.

Elrond looked down again, slowly releasing his breath as though he was building up his nerves. "Arwen," he said at last, looking his daughter in the eye, "this latest attack on the rangers is just further proof that the times are growing dark, and their proximity to Rivendel had disturbed me. With Aragorn…Estel here it will be even more dangerous."

Arwen was shaking her head, already knowing where this conversation was headed. "Father, please don't tell me what I think you're going to."

"Arwen, my power is no longer enough to protect you from the shadow," Elrond said, ignoring his daughter's words. "You will be much safer with your grandmother."

"No!" Arwen shouted, rising to her feet. "I will not be sent away to hide, I can take care of myself!"

"Like you did one thousand years ago?!" Elrond shouted back, his anger blinding his senses. Seeing his daughter's eyes flash at the mention of her time in captivity, he attempted to reign in his temper. "No," he said resolutely. "You are going to stay in Lorien. It is for your own good."

Arwen shook her head, to angry to find words. Instead, she just stood and left, not heeding her father when he called to her.

A/N Okay, I know it's a weird time to stop the chapter, but I wanted to get this updated so I decided to, as they say in the Agony and the Ecstasy, I decided to make an end.

PLEASE REVIEW THIS. I'm not going to offer you guys a reward for it but would you do it anyway, out of the kindness of your hearts?

Peace,

Hobbit Killer


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